Sophomore Alex Scarpaci recognizes that she sometimes spends too much time on TikTok.
“I actually kind of need the app to get banned,” Scarpaci said. “I need to do homework.”
Scarpaci has been on the app since back when it was Music.ly, so she has many memories from it.
“You can basically see me grow up on TikTok from my videos,” she said.
Scarpaci is one of the many students who have strong opinions on the potential ban of TikTok, which could happen as early as Sunday. The Supreme Court has heard arguments on the case but has not issued a ruling.
If the ban goes into effect, app stores will not be allowed to offer TikTok for download. TikTok would not disappear from users’ phones, but the Chinese company that owns the app, ByteDance, would not be able to update the app. This means that any bugs that develop could not be fixed, and eventually the app would degrade.
Junior Kendall Santilla views TikTok as a necessity in her day-to-day life.
“It keeps me sane some days,” Santilla said.
Santilla is sad about the potential ban because she feels that even though TikTok is mainly used as a source of entertainment, she stays informed about the latest news through the app.
“I follow the New York Times and The Daily,” Santilla said.
Junior Lucas Wiatrowski also feels that TikTok provides him with useful information.
“I’ve found out a lot of educational tips for life on the app, while on apps like Instagram, I only tend to see funny content,” Wiatrowski said.
Wiatrowski says that even though he uses the app a lot, he isn’t addicted to it and uses it in moderation.
“I wouldn’t say that TikTok is addicting, but I feel that it is a good way to pass the time,” Wiatrowski said.
For others, TikTok’s influence has been more personal. Sophomore Joseph Maiers, though relatively new to the app, said it has already made an impact on his life.
“I go on the app every day and I just like being able to send videos to my friends,” Maiers said.
But junior Chloe Dodds acknowledges that she often spends too much time on the app. She believes that without distractions like TikTok, she could focus more on school.
“I think if I had nothing else to do and no distractions, I would probably spend more time studying,” Dodds said.
Santilla also feels she watches too many TikToks.
“I spend probably five hours per day on it,” Santilla said.
Jerad Smith, an educator with the Chill Room, said that social media apps such as TikTok have had a real effect on the mental health of teenagers.
“There are a lot of studies linking social media applications such as TikTok to issues people face later on in their lives, such as anxiety, depression, and things of that nature,” Smith said. “It’s not so much of an opinion anymore, but rather a fact that these applications are causing problems to the mental health of the youth in our country.”
Counselor Kaitlyn Figurelli agrees. While she feels that social media does have positives, its effect on teens is mostly negative.
“It’s been alarming to see how many students are just so entangled with their phones,” Figurelli said. “When one minute leads to an hour, there are definitely concerns.”
Congress approved the ban because of concerns that ByteDance might be sharing users’ data with the Chinese government.
Freshman Annjal Parajuli, however, pointed out that TikTok is not the only app that collects users’ data.
“I think it’s unfair because they’re not doing anything that any other social media company wouldn’t,” Parajuli said. “The fact that they’re just being targeted because the U.S. government can’t control what’s on the app and it allows actual free speech – I think it’s very bad.”
“I think it’s funny that people are already starting to move to the RedNote app out of pettiness, which can be considered actual Chinese spyware,” Parajuli said.
Santilla believes concerns about TikTok spyware might be overblown, as she feels her phone already has spyware installed through other apps or just the device itself.
“Our phones are literally spyware too,” Santilla said. “I was reading The Great Gatsby and I was talking about it with my friend. After this, a video came up showing Great Gatsby-themed prom dresses on YouTube,” she said.
She also feels that even if TikTok was listening in on her conversations and taking her data, it wouldn’t affect her too much. Dodds agreed.
“I know that it’s a Chinese company, but I really don’t know what they are doing,” Dodds said. “I only really watch funny videos, so I don’t know what data they could really get from that.”
Freshman Macie Sluganski doesn’t view her data being leaked as a major concern, but she also isn’t comfortable with the idea of it.
“When I really think about it I find it kind of weird,” Sluganski said. “I don’t like the idea of it, but I would rather have TikTok.”
Senior Rakshya Kafle said that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, also collects data.
“The whole idea of China stealing our data doesn’t really scare me because Meta has been found to be doing this, and the government didn’t care enough to do anything,” Kafle said.
Kafle said she has recently stopped using TikTok as much as she used to because she is too busy with work and school. But she occasionally uses it as a form of entertainment and information.
“I used to use TikTok quite a bit. But I have slowly forced myself to detach from it because while there are positives to it, anything too much is bad,” Kafle said.
Junior Helaine White knows of an alternative app called Lemon8, which is also owned by ByteDance. It is a similarly structured app to TikTok and a likely alternative.
“I don’t know if many people will go there, but I know I will,” White said.
One positive for some TikTok users and influences is the money they can make on the app.
Creators can get paid based on the number of views they get, and clothing brands and other companies increase sales via publicity they get on the app. Also, TikTok Shop is an online marketplace inside of the app that allows sellers to list their items, similar to Amazon or Etsy.
“It can make a lot of people money,” Santilla said. “Many people use it as their main source of income.”
If TikTok does end up getting banned, it will change things for a lot of people.
“If TikTok does fully disappear, I decided to accept it and focus on other things. TikTok is very unique and its cultural impact is phenomenal. No other app compares,” Kafle said. “People definitely spend way too much time on it, but that’s not what the government is worried about – banning TikTok is censorship. You’re blocking a significant form of communication and this sets the precedent for every other foreign media.”
